The aura of home advantage -- long regarded as a hallmark of India's Test side -- seemed secure. But in barely over a year, that fortress has not just cracked, it has collapsed, raising uncomfortable questions about strategy, selection, and temperament.
For the first time in many years, India are going into a home Test match as underdogs and not favourites. Ask any player worth his salt and he would tell that it is not a happy place to be.
Ben Stokes was ruled out due to a shoulder muscle tear.
He said he might have reviewed the caught-behind decision himself had he been given out -- but not with great confidence.
Two Indian origin players -- Aryan Sharma and John James -- have been named in Australia's 15-member squad for the men's U-19 World Cup scheduled to be held in Namibia and Zimbabwe from January 15 to February 6.
England need to alter their approach if they hope to claw their way back after their disastrous start to the Ashes series and avoid another drubbing, former Australia paceman Mitchell Johnson said.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma deserve to be treated differently for their body of work over the years and their place in the ODI side should have never been a topic of debate, reckons ex-India batting coach Sanjay Bangar.
Conrad conceded that South Africa were a "batter light" but explained that if the players they have were willing to play with a little more self-confidence, it could work in Proteas' favour.
'I don't see an end date with the way he's training, the way he's preparing, the way he's moving.'
The pitch, left unwatered for nearly a week, appeared dry and brown with faint traces of grass, conditions that could bring reverse swing and variable bounce into play later in the match.
Out-of-form India vice-captain Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the last two T20I games against South Africa with a toe injury, sources close to the team told PTI.
Don't skip the test. Do sectional tests instead. Or give half, advises CAT expert Aashish Sood.
India's absolute dominance at home will come under examination when they meet a determined New Zealand in the decisive third ODI at the high-scoring Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday, with the three-match series locked at 1-1.
'I've had quite a bit of skill sessions and some training sessions. So, I feel much, much better.'
The Ashes could be decided within days at an Adelaide Oval furnace where England's hopes of wresting back the urn will fire anew or flame out entirely against a strengthened Australia.
Mbappe fires Real Madrid to the summit, Bayern lose at home and Dortmund stay in the title hunt.
'He (Pandya) can command a spot in the top five on his batting alone. He could also be one of the top three seamers in any team if he was just a bowler.'
And ahead of the 4th Test, some members of the Indian team went all out at a gym training session.
'I was playing country cricket and working as a carpenter, and that was the dream for me.'
Steyn, however, said his team had "exceeded expectations" on their tour of India.
Virat Kohli returns to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy -- India's national ODI tournament -- after 15 years with his previous match in the competition dating back to February 18, 2010.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Friday announced the appointment of New Zealand cricket legend Tim Southee as the team's bowling coach for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Tinku commended Gill's strong technical foundation and composure, expressing confidence that this is just the beginning of a record-breaking career.
Australia may opt to continue with a four-prong pace attack at Adelaide and even add another part-time seamer in all-rounder Beau Webster, who could replace batter Josh Inglis in the lower middle order.
The 21-year-old goalkeeper from Batala in Punjab has been one of India's standout performers at the ongoing FIH Junior World Cup
Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill is "ready to start" ahead of the first T20I against South Africa of the five-match series, which will take place on December 9.
Who do you think should be part of the Indian team for the fifth Test against England?
South Africa will co-host the next 50-over Cricket World Cup in 2027 along with Zimbabwe and Namibia.
India bowling coach Morne Morkel says managing the workload of fast bowlers in a five-Test series can be an issue right after an IPL season.
Seema Punia gets 16-month ban for failing dope test
England have not won the Ashes in Australia after losing the first Test since the 1950s but McCullum and Stokes will remain convinced they can turn the series around, just as they did against South Africa in 2022 when they won 2-1 after losing the opener at Lord's.
India and England players will push their tired bodies on the line with everything to play for in the fifth and final Test starting at The Oval on Thursday
South Africa batting coach Ashwell Prince said the Proteas' ODI side still needs to sharpen its temperament in "clutch moments".
Rishabh worked on his defence after Australia failures, says childhood coach Devender Sharma
Kane Williamson is unavailable for ODI selection due to his commitments in the SA20 league.
Having bid adieu to his stellar Test career a content man, Indian Test batting great Cheteshwar Pujara wouldn't mind a coaching stint or a role at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in the next stage of his cricketing journey.
Dinesh Karthik believes India head coach Gautam Gambhir is tactically 'very good', but feels man-management remains an area he would need to work on.
'We know we're behind the game again, in the situation we currently stand.'
With India's home aura cracking again, Sourav Ganguly has stepped into the pitch debate admitting the Eden surface was far from ideal but stressing that a world-class Test side should never crumble in pursuit of 124.
During the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, Johnson broke Bahadur Prasad's 23-year-old 1500m national record with a time of 3 minute 37.86 seconds though he finished fifth in the final.
